Tuesday, October 08, 2019

Sounds like "ask"


First Question:  Does Trump, like Matt Gaetz, think "kangaroo court" has to do with Captain Kangaroo?

BTW, a "malicious Captain Kangaroo" is like saying an "angry Mr. Rogers."  It's so contrary, it's meaningless.

Second Question:  How obvious is it that "kangaroo court" is the latest GOP talking point?

Actually I just heard about that tweet again this morning on NPR.  It was put into context that Sondland wrote this message after a 5 hour pause, in response to a prior text message worried about quid pro quo, and that shortly thereafter Sondland advised they quit making a record of their conversations, and talk by phone (a more private form of communication on a phone).  It was also pointed out these texts describe extortion, for which no quid pro quo is required, and come long after the quid pro quo has been established, anyway.

As for hiding witnesses from inquiry, sunlight is a great disinfectant.  If the Democrats are so evil, expose their evil.  Otherwise the presumption is you are hiding something because, the evidence says you are (Sondland was pulled after his private messages were shared with the White House).

Context, as Forster said, is all.


Irony is in the corner, getting blotto.  Meanwhile, back in the "heartland":

U.S. President Donald Trump is gearing up for a campaign stop in Dallas this month but still owes the city of El Paso about $560,000 for a February rally that attracted thousands of supporters from the region.

The lack of payment has led to El Paso City Council to consider adopting a policy that would require visitors like the president to fill out special forms or approvals to hold large rallies.

The city of El Paso provided security, some aviation assistance and busing during the February rally where supporters wore red "Make America Great Again," hats to support the president. The city sent the president's campaign headquarters in New York a bill for the services and has not heard word back.

“That's a cause for concern. This was a cost incurred that the city of El Paso didn't plan — this was put on us.”

Sun Metro buses provided transportation for the president's supporters as they left vehicles in distant parking lots and police guarded the El Paso County Coliseum during the visit.  


A recent investigation by the Center for Public Integrity found that the Trump campaign generally doesn’t reimburse local governments for extra costs that result from his campaign rallies. His campaign has at least nine unpaid invoices from cities for extra costs totaling more than $840,000, according to the report. Trump raised $125 million for his 2020 re-election bid in the third quarter of this year alone.

Trump doesn’t have to pay the city back. The Federal Election Commission doesn’t have any rules requiring campaigns to cover local costs, but some candidates do pay them.


The city of El Paso is owed $3.8 million in unpaid invoices that are at least 90 days past due. The Trump campaign is responsible for nearly 15% of that amount. CBS4 On Your Side spoke with the city's chief financial officer, Robert Cortinas, about who is responsible for getting that money back.

KTTC reports that in a letter sent to the Target Center on Monday, the 2020 Trump campaign alleges that it was asked to pay $530,000 up front to cover security and other expenses and would withhold use of the facility if it didn’t receive that payment. And in the letter, according to KTTC, Trump’s campaign describes the bill as “an outrageous abuse of power by a liberal mayor trying to deny the rights of his own city’s residents just because he hates the president” and notes that the U.S. Secret Service handles security-related costs of such events.

But seeing as he stuck El Paso with a $500,000 bill, what Minneapolis is asking for up front doesn't seem like such a big ask.  Then again, Trump is a very big...well, sounds like "ask."
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